Chapter 30: The Discovery of the Suspicious Ship

Jingxiang Ninth Floor, the best restaurant in Jingzhou City, takes the meaning of Jingxiang Nine Counties. The five-storey building is decorated in gold and red. It's a three-day winter festival, and the restaurant stays open all night, and there is always a steady stream of customers coming here. Although there are many guests, they have money and are easy to do, and the shopkeeper brought them to the highest floor of the window seat. Here you can have a bird's-eye view of Jingzhou.

The three of them couldn't help but sigh that a local restaurant is so luxurious, comparable to a royal mansion, which shows that the owner of the restaurant is not simple. After sitting down, Zhang Xiao asked the bartender to put the specialty dishes on it, and the wine was naturally indispensable, and the hot rice wine was in the stomach, and he suddenly felt comfortable, and the wet and cold of the autumn night was dissipated. At this time, Luozi changed from the cold of the past, and his fair face was flushed with pink halo by the red wine and green, Zhang Xiao's baby face that was already puffy was even more red and pink at this time, and the uncle was not good at drinking, but fortunately, this rice wine was not strong, and he couldn't help but drink a few more glasses. After drinking hot, the three of them simply took off their coats, stood a few empty wine jugs on the floor, and played a game of pitching pots with bamboo chopsticks, as if they were back in their youths for a while.

Naturally, Zhang Li and his party couldn't afford to live in a high-end restaurant, so they chose a clean and secluded inn to live in. I heard that it was a winter festival, so I came out to see the excitement. A very light bell was heard in the crowd, which made the palm hat's heart move. Somehow, he always heard the familiar bell sound recently, maybe he was too nervous about handling the case, and he had auditory hallucinations? A few people found a small roadside shop and ordered a few local stir-fried dishes, almost all of which were spicy. Fortunately, people from the military camp are not taboo, and the food can be eaten, and they also made an exception to call a few pots of rice wine for everyone to go to relieve their fatigue.

At the dinner table, the palm asked the palm hat, how to check next. "It has been reported that this ghost ship has appeared on the banks of the Jingshui River, and we will go over and have a look after dinner." Palm nodded.

After eating, Zhangli asked the others to go back to the inn, asked the shopkeeper for directions, and walked towards the riverbank with Zhangli. There are also crowds of people on the riverside, because there is a custom of worshipping ancestors on the winter solstice, many people put river lanterns by the river, and there are also those who burn paper money. On both sides of the dark riverbank, many tall and low boats were parked, and the river was floating with sparkling lights. Along the riverbank, the two stared into the darkness and asked, "Which one?"

The two walked all the way down from the upstream, seeing that there were fewer people on both sides. Suddenly pointed to the other side of the river, and whispered, "Young master, look!" Because there are almost no river lights here, it is very dark, and it is difficult to see the appearance of the boat. "What's so weird?" "Palm has good eyesight, and must have found something. "The boat doesn't feel like a normal boat," he said. Fortunately, there was a cross bridge not far away, and the two of them crossed the bridge and touched it, and when they saw that the ship was black all over, and there was no light in the cabin, they carefully identified a large smeared mark on the side of the ship. The two of them walked back three or two boats, and saw a small boat with lights on, and the two shouted on the shore, and an old man came out of the cabin. The palm man stepped forward to salute: "Uncle, may I know who owns the boat over there?" We want to find a big ship to transport some timber across the river." "The palm of the hand specifically said that it was to transport timber, so the old man's boat naturally could not transport it. The old man squinted at the fingers of his palm, and said in a half-life-old official dialect: "You said that the big boat over there." It's been a few days since I stopped there, and when I woke up, I stopped there. I don't know which house I sprinkled, and I didn't see anyone going up or down. Why don't you look at it at dawn and ask? If you can't find Sah, I'll help you find another ship. "Thank you.

Back at the inn, Palm immediately arranged for the two of them to go to the river bank immediately and take turns to monitor the boat.

Before dawn the next day, Palm Kasa led the others to the riverbank again. Although the morning fog on the river was cloudy, many boaters were already preparing to set sail. Ask the two people on duty if there is any movement at night. The two said they had not seen any movement. Seeing that the two of them had been wet by the night dew, the palm hat asked them to go back to the inn to rest first. was about to arrange for two more to continue staring. Someone whispered, "Look!" I saw an inconspicuous canopy boat in the fog, slowly rowing to this side, originally in the middle of the river, when it was approaching the big ship, it suddenly turned off the bow of the boat, sailed to the outside side of the big ship and stopped. Then the high side of the boat actually opened up, and two people came out of the small boat, handed several large bags of things into it, and a few hands stretched out from the strings of the big boat to catch it. After handing over the things, the boat slowly rowed away from the big boat and continued to move forward. All of this was done in an instant, and with the fog and the lack of boats, it was almost impossible to notice. It turned out that the people were all in the bilge, no wonder there were no lights on it. It seems that the boat was carrying supplies.

When everyone was staring, the palm of the hand had already run away, and ran to the old man's boat that he had questioned before, and when he saw that he had already gotten up, he said, "Borrow the boat," and the old man did not agree, so he jumped on the boat, threw him a piece of silver, and said, "Follow the boat in front." The old man was about to attack, but when he saw the silver, he immediately answered, turned the bow of the boat, and sailed quickly.

The men here picked up a stone and slashed it on the boat with a bang, and there was no movement for a long time. I cut another piece, but it still didn't move. Either you can't come out, or the boat gang is very thick, and the people at the bottom can't hear it. How many people were in it, and why did they stop here for several days? The supply had to be replenished by a small boat? The rest is just waiting for the palm to come back.

The palm hat kept pacing in the room, and after three strokes, the palm hat finally returned. The palm hat handed him a glass of water, and he wiped his mouth after drinking it in one gulp, and then said: "This boat went out of Jingshuikou and went around a big circle before coming back again, which is really cunning." ”

"Where?"

"The old man said that this boat is not from the shore boatmen. It should be the private ship of a large family. This Jingzhou is close to the big river, and some large households dig a river directly by the river in order to transport some private and valuable things, which leads directly to their own docks. ”

"Do you know which one it belongs to?"

The old man said that the boat returned to the dock of a new wealthy local family, whose surname was Xia, and he had only appeared in the past two years. I don't know where it came from. ”

If you are not afraid of many clues, you are afraid of no clues. A little bit of clues, just follow the vine and touch the melon. Zhangli was going to go to the government office in the afternoon to inquire about the family's surname Xia. The palm of the hand was in charge of keeping an eye on the big ship. It stands to reason that Wang Shao should almost be on his way here.

The three of them went to the street to buy new clothes, dressed neatly, borrowed a shopkeeper, helped hold the gifts, and inquired about Mr. Chisel's mansion before going out. Fortunately, Mr. Chisel was at home, and Lhotse and others handed over the name card and waited in the concierge. The three of them followed. When I entered the flower hall, I saw a middle-aged man wearing a scarf and a crane, presumably this was Mr. Chiseltooth. Luo Zi gave a deep salute and said, "Junior Yingchuan Han Yue, meet Mr. Chisel." The middle-aged man hurriedly hugged each other and said, "No courtesy, no courtesy." Are you Han Yue Han Luochuan?" As soon as he heard Han Luochuan, Zhang Xiao next to him suddenly stared at Luozi's back with wide eyes, and the uncle next to him secretly pulled him, meaning don't make such a fuss.

"I have been friends with Han Kangbo for many years, and you are his nephew, and naturally you are also my nephew. The Han Kangbo he mentioned, named Han Bo, came from Yingchuan Han, and was a well-known contemporary metaphysician and exegete. Although Han Bo practiced metaphysics and loved Buddhism, the two were very good friends.

Mr. Chisel looked behind Lhotse and asked, "Who are these two?"

"In the next two friends, travel together in Chudi. Lhotse replied.

"In the lower country Huanyi. Uncle Shili replied.

"Liang Zhang Xiao in front of the next step. Zhang Xiao also learned from the two of them.

"It turns out that you are Huan Yi, I have heard that there is a young man in the Huan clan. Fortunately, I will be honored. The uncle smiled shyly. This chiseled gentleman didn't look at Zhang Xiao, and it seemed that he still had some nostalgia for the Beijiang countries to encroach on the territory of the Jin Dynasty.

"I came to Jingzhou this time, I don't know what happened?"

"Mr. Hui, I'll wait to travel to Chudi. It just so happened that Uncle Huan Xia Jun occasionally got a rubbing, so he came to ask Mr. ”

As soon as he heard that there was a historical object, Mr. Chisel became interested. The uncle hurriedly handed over a piece of paper, he had already transcribed the words on the golden book in three parts on the paper beforehand, and now he only took out one of them. Mr. Chisel took a look and said, "It turned out to be a bird and insect seal." You've come to the right place. A few years ago, a few friends and I were studying this bird and insect seal. However, the birds and insects are picturesque, and they seem to be similar but different. We can only decipher a few words. So you wait here for a while. I'll go to the study and get some things for you. The three of them thanked him.

Mr. Chisel went out of the door, Zhang Xiao immediately came over and asked in a low voice: "Why does he ignore me?" The uncle replied in a low voice: "The Beijiang countries occupy a large area of Jin territory, this Mr. Chisel is an orthodox historian of the Jin Dynasty, and when I heard you say that he was a person from Qianliang, he was naturally dissatisfied." You don't make a sound. Zhang Xiao pouted.

While waiting in the flower hall, I suddenly heard a hearty cry coming from the courtyard: "You old man, what are you busy doing in the house all day, the weather will come out with me for a walk." As soon as he finished speaking, people had already entered. I saw that this person was burly, with a soft armor jacket and a brocade robe, carrying a treasure sword, dressed as a military general, looking at his face, his sideburns were stiffly tied up like the skin of an anti-hedgehog, and his eyebrows were as strong and distinct as purple stones. When the people came into the house, they didn't see the chisel teeth, but they saw three strange teenagers, and they were stunned and said, "What about the chisel teeth?" The uncle hurriedly explained: "Mr. Chisel has gone to the study." The man looked the three of them up and down and asked, "Who are you?" This is Yingchuan Han Yue, and this is Zhang Xiao. ”

"Are you from the Qian Guohuan clan?" the man looked at his uncle again.

"Exactly. ”

"Haha, okay. I'm Huan Wen, and we're the same clan. ”

As soon as they heard the other party call themselves Huan Wen, Uncle and Luozi's hearts moved, he was the famous Huan Wen? This Huan Wen belonged to the Long Kang Huan clan, and his father was Xuancheng Taishou Huan Yi before his death. Since the Eastern Jin Dynasty crossed the river, Wang Dunba guarded Jingzhou for many years, after being punished for rebellion, this Jingzhou was given to the former dynasty uncle Yingchuan Yu Liang, Yu Liang and Huan Wen's father Huan Yi befriended, Huan Yi died after Huan Wen also defected to Yu Liang and became the master of Jingzhou. And this Long Kang Huan clan is a branch of the Huan clan of the Qian State, so Huan Wen said that he and Huan Yi are of the same clan.

At this time, Mr. Chisel had already come back with a stack of manuscripts, and when he saw Huan Wen coming, he didn't politely say, "Are you idle again?" Huan Wen smiled: "I'm just passing by to see, how can I be free." I never thought I would meet my little brother of the same clan. When they came to Jingzhou, you didn't tell me, I showed the friendship of the landlord. In this way, I will do the east at night, the ninth floor of Jingxiang, and you will bring them with you. Don't bother you, I'm going to patrol the river. That's it. Hahaha" After speaking, Huan Wen strode away.

Mr. Chisel looked at his back and shook his head helplessly.

The three of Luo Zi glanced at each other, it turned out that the ninth floor of Jingxiang was Huanwen's industry, no wonder.